Mother's Day

Hundreds of dewdrops to green the dawn,

Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,

Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,

But only one mother the wide world over.

--George Cooper

As I said in my previous post, it was an awesome weekend! Yesterday was absolutely delightful. I love it when special events are lovely like this! :) We had a small family gathering at my aunt and uncle's house. We enjoyed sitting on the deck eating our meal and chatting. After dinner, we toured through my aunt and uncle's gorgeous garden. I just had to share a few pictures! The sunshine put a lovely spotlight on the flowers and made the colors so vibrant.

It was a great day to celebrate mothers!!

A cookie Mom and I thought was appropriate for Granny -- "The Queen" :)

With my momma

Hope that you all had a lovely weekend...whether it was celebrating that special woman in your life or remembering or doing the usual.

Instagrammed Weekend

This was a fabulous weekend!! Hot weather (80 + degrees!) and fun times. Here is what I did via Instagram (you can follow me: sincerelyangela1)...

On Friday -- I got my present for Mother's Day, a hanging basket. It's tradition now for me to get her this. It's the gift that keeps on giving too! They last from May until October usually.

Saturday-- Most of these pictures were from that day.
Silly kitties
A nice picture of happy pansies on the porch
My amusement with people at their convertibles -- on days like this you see a lot of them
A picture of the big blue sky
Dinner at McMenamins. :)

These warm days make all the rainy ones worth it. I am pretty sure that here 1 sunny day = 10 rainy days. So I guess it's about right that we are having a week of awesome weather! Totally puts a smile on my face and a spring in my step! haha (yes pun fully intended)

Happy Monday ya'll!

An Evening with Apolo Ohno

I'm a weekend writer... I can't help it but that is how life is right now. I am in the last two weeks of the semester and have been subbing quite a bit this month. I'm happy to report that this weekend has been just as wonderful as the last one-- perhaps even better!

So I guess I better start in chronological order... Starting with FRIDAY!

 Buddy TV? 

On Friday night, Mom and I had the opportunity to see Apolo Anton Ohno speak (the most decorated Winter athlete of all time! YEAH!) !!!! She got an email last week about him being at the Elsinore Theater in Salem and impulsively we got tickets. He was the motivational speaker for this benefit by Project Assist and Med Assist. These programs help people without insurance to obtain medical services of all kinds in the Marion/Polk County. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get pictures (they were not allowed -- drove me crazy!) but I certainly did enjoy listening to him. Yes he is a great speaker and motivational. Yes you can see his muscles through his suit ;-)

It was awesome hearing him talk about how he learned to live with "zero regrets." He went through very intensive preparations for his last Olympics in 2010. I didn't know he was able to leg press 2,000 pounds! Talk about mental strength! When he talked about that everyone in the crowd was like "Whoah." Needless to say, he is inspirational and motivational. I also appreciate his passion for helping children be successful because he knows how easy it is to fall into traps. I would love to see him again!!!

Besides the whole experience was quite fun. Something that Drs. Niles and Frasier Crane (we've been watching lots of "Frasier" lately) would have enjoyed this event. I saw some very formally dressed ladies, men in top hats, there were hors d'oeuvres and wine. I was very amused and loved it!

I was semi-formal -
Blazer: White House Black Market ($70 on sale, it fit me perfectly and I love it)
Top: Romy ($15 - yes you can wear a cheap top with a spendy one -- also had to wear gold for this)
Jeans (not pictured): Dark skinny jeans from Hollister
Boots (see below): Cathy Jean

Delightful evening dahhhling... and then afterwards we drove to our 5 star hotel -- known as Granny's. :)

Wedding Shout-Outs, Part II

The rest of my recommendations, compliments etc... :)


Food/ Catering


Roth's Fresh Markets (particularly the on Wallace Road NW, Salem) -- They did an excellent job on preparing the food and the cake (best store made cake I have ever had & I'm not a huge fan of cake in general). The lady who did the catering for our wedding was so helpful! She thought of things that had never crossed our minds. For example, she suggested that the cake table be at a different location due to the scene behind it (behind one set of windows was a playground and she didn't want that to be in the background for the pictures). I highly recommend Roth's if you are planning a wedding in Salem, OR!

The Venue- Church

Salem First Presbyterian Church -- This church holds so much significance for our family so it was very special to have the wedding there. All year round this church looks gorgeous but it is even better during the Christmas season. Sarah got the wedding she dreamed of! Plus, I must add, the pastor, the wedding coordinator, the sound technician, custodian, organist (though minor issues due to it being the first wedding there, she did a beautiful job playing) and others involved were wonderful. They all worked together to make the day memorable for Sarah and D.

Flowers

Anderson-McIlnay, located in downtown Salem -- Though going into the shop and ordering was quite an experience (apparently chaotic? I wasn't there for the experience), the flowers were all stunning. We were all very happy with the flowers! (The large arrangements are the two in the sanctuary in the previous picture)

Table Decorations-- Family Created & Produced!


My Aunt and her two daughters -- What more can I say, but WOW?! Sarah gave them the idea of using oranments and look at what they created... Most decorations (ornaments) were bought at the Dollar Tree, sparkly blue fabric at JoAnn's store, and items like the vases and mirrors were borrowed. Altogether the decorations came to about $50. Yes, 5-0 dollars!!! I am so impressed and think they should post this creation on Pinterest (cough, cough!). Thank you cousins and Auntie!!!

Last but not least.... All of the Village! Thank you family!!!!

Without the help of family members being willing to help, it would have been a very stressful event.

--Two cousins were willing to do the guest book and served as warm greeters.
-- Two of my aunties greeted guests and helped to make everyone feel welcome.
-- Two of my uncles provided video recording services; one was in the balcony and one took a recording from his seat in the pew.
-- My aunt and uncle who live nearby were so generous in driving a special guest from the airport to the hotel (they had been there to take their son to the airport and D's friend's plane was delayed, so my aunt and uncle stayed out there later to retrieve him).
-- A huge thank you to those who took pictures, video, danced, chattered with guests, participated in being at the wedding; you all made it an awesome celebration!

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Hoping I didn't forget anyone but if I did I will add them in at some later point. :) If you're planning a wedding, I hope that some of these recommendations help... that is if you're in the Oregon, Salem-ish area. haha

Wedding Shout-Outs, Part I

Okay folks, I think this is my last post about the wedding. However, this is an important post because several people and businesses need to be recognized and recommended. Without the help of family and the generosity of others, the wedding would have not gone so smoothly. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Wedding dress

David's Bridal -- Sarah's dress was on sale ($99 and it was the one we all fell in love with!), and the ladies were really helpful and professional for the alterations.

Jewelry


Mary Hurst -- When Sarah, Mom and I picked up D at the airport we had plenty of time to peruse the stores. Featured, in the walkway, of the store area, was a jewelry stand. Sarah and I still needed earrings for the wedding and decided to check out this lady's stand. I am so glad we did!! Mary was so sweet to talk to (she has a little accent, she is from Ireland) and was so excited to learn that her jewelry would be worn for such a special occasion. I emailed her today with some pictures. I am so pleased with the earrings I got from her! They added the right amount of sparkle to my outfit. Sarah's were simply beautiful too and went perfectly with Granny's pearl necklace. (I need to take an up close shot of these earrings so it will be uploaded tomorrow) I feel so good about buying locally because it was handmade and a personal exchange. :)


Hair & Makeup

Zeeba Salon in Salem -- These gals were so sweet! We had super early appointments (7AM) so that we could be ready in plenty of time. They provided us with a lovely breakfast of delicious donuts, orange slices and orange juice. Our makeup was beautifully done and our hair turned out better than expected! We were done early too (a little before 10AM) so we had some nice extra time at the church. Thank you Zeeba!!!

Food/ Catering


Roth's Fresh Markets (particularly the on Wallace Road NW, Salem) -- They did an excellent job on preparing the food and the cake (best store made cake I have ever had & I'm not a huge fan of cake in general). The lady who did the catering for our wedding was so helpful! She thought of things that had never crossed our minds. For example, she suggested that the cake table be at a different location due to the scene behind it (behind one set of windows was a playground and she didn't want that to be in the background for the pictures). I highly recommend Roth's if you are planning a wedding in Salem, OR!

The Venue- Church

Salem First Presbyterian Church -- This church holds so much significance for our family so it was very special to have the wedding there. All year round this church looks gorgeous but it is even better during the Christmas season. Sarah got the wedding she dreamed of! Plus, I must add, the pastor, the wedding coordinator, the sound technician, custodian, organist (though minor issues due to it being the first wedding there, she did a beautiful job playing) and others involved were wonderful. They all worked together to make the day memorable for Sarah and D.

Photography


Little Pixels, located in Beaverton -- We know Rebecca from a previous photography experience and so Sarah chose her to do the wedding photos. Rebecca is easy-going, uses high quality equipment, and is very discrete. I hardly noticed her or her assistant during the whole day! She was flexible to travel to Salem for the wedding, included engagement pictures in the package (not sure if she does that for all couples), and was also flexible on the dates (for awhile we weren't sure of the wedding date). I highly recommend her- she is fun to work with and is passionate about her job!

One Week Ago, Today

One week ago, today, my little sister got married. The day was beautiful and everything came together smoothly.

Memories
--Seeing how beautiful my sis looked when she put on her dress
-- Feeling ecstatic about how my dress slipped on and looked better than I remembered!
--Laughing with my sister about how I was the nervous one; she was pretty calm the whole time
-- My aunts popping in at the bridal room as we were getting ready; everyone was so helpful and full of hugs!
-- My mom and my Aunt Shari sharing tears over the symbolism in Sarah's bouquet: the white flower in hers represented Papa (who passed away several years ago) and the red in mine represented Granny.
-- Sharing those final moments with my sis before we walked up the stairs to the foyer
-- Waiting with my parents and sister, all scrunched up so that no one would see Sarah.
-- Being told by the wedding planner to get to the doors to walk with the best man down the aisle. Funny thing is, she told us when to walk in but I wasn't totally sure since she went somewhere temporarily. Oh well! We walked down fine though probably faster than necessary from nerves. I enjoyed it though..
-- When walking down the aisle I loved seeing family and friends who came to support Sarah & D. I was surprised to see certain ones there, which was fun. After glancing at those in the pews, I smiled at D. He looked so ready to see his bride!
-- Once getting to my place by the pastor, the music was supposed to change for Sarah. The organist, not having done a wedding at the church before, lost her place in the program for a few seconds. Guess she had played "Trumpet Voluntary" when I walked down the aisle with the best man. Anyhow, that was the song that Sarah wanted for her entrance... The pastor kindly told the organist to play the music and then Sarah, Mom and Dad walked down the aisle.
-- As Sarah walked down the aisle the whole experience started to feel surreal. I couldn't pinch myself but I wanted to. "Really?! Is this happening?!" In some ways it kind of felt like we had all dressed up and were putting on a fancy show... but nope, it was the reality and it is still sinking in.
-- When Sarah was walking down the aisle I loved seeing the smile on her face and the happiness on D's as well. I couldn't decide who I wanted to look at so I glanced several times back and forth to see their faces.
--Instead of a unity candle, Sarah & D did the signing of the marriage license. I'll always remember the beautiful music, "This Marriage" by Eric Whitacre that played during this part of the ceremony.
--The relief when the ceremony was over, and we circled around the sanctuary to come back for pictures. Sarah and D raced out of there and hugged each other tightly. Very sweet.
--Though it wasn't pleasant, it is memorable about Sarah's struggle with her dress. Unfortunately, it was really tight so she felt close to fainting when we were taking family pictures. During the reception a cousin and I loosened her dress and used clothes pins to hold the zipper together.
-- The beautiful reception tables decorated by two of my cousins and their mom. They did a spectacular job!
--Tasty lasagna, salad, and cheese bread (was able to get down some of it- spent most of the time flying around talking to people).
-- Giving the toast and feeling oh so nervous! I knew what I wanted to say but I felt emotional and nervous. Much of the toast is a blur, but I know I spoke from my heart and that is all that matters. I just wanted to let my sis and bro know that they're supported and that I am so happy for them.
--The unexpected and wonderful toast given my the best man, D's younger brother. He was very well spoken and also expressed support for this newly married couple. I was touched that he was able to verbalize his feelings. I know that meant a lot to D and his family.
-- Sarah & D cutting the cake, Sarah was very happy that there was a Christmas cake knife on the table. They kindly gave each other a piece of cake. So glad they didn't smash it on each other's face! They couldn't though because D was in uniform and that wouldn't have been too good.
-- Sarah & D's first dance to "Love Like Crazy" by Lee Brice. I am so glad they chose a country song!
-- Dancing with Granny (she boogied down!), cousins, an uncle, and some other family members. Everyone got involved when the "YMCA" song played. It is a family favorite so we had a good time dancing and singing!
-- Being silly with my cousins as we moved to the music!
-- Sarah and D doing the garter toss before they got ready to leave. Sarah loved her Army garter belt. Funny thing is it was caught by her friend's brother.
-- Cheering for Sarah & D as they left the church to get into the town car. :) As they left the church, the bells rang for them. The incredibly thoughtful custodian helped to make that possible. So special!
-- As Sarah and D were leaving, I couldn't help but watch his dad's face. Those were the last few moments for D's dad to see him (as D left on the 1st). When the car departed I made sure to give his dad a hug. We both needed that.



... And those are all the memories I can list for today! I am just trying to have this day recorded for me personally and for some family members. As I say, this blog is primarily for me and if others read, then great! :)

The Wedding

Weddings are hard to describe, particularly if you were involved with being in them. 

We're all still in the "afterglow" of the wonderful day. It is fun to review the day and the different aspects of it. Weddings are just one of those surreal events in life-- the anticipation and planning go on for awhile but the day itself is over in the blink of an eye. 

I'm not really sure how to even tell how I felt or what all happened, truthfully. There are parts of the day that I will always remember though. One of them being how D held his composure during the whole ceremony, smiling in his eyes. After walking out of the sanctuary, Sarah and D hugged each other and that is when he burst in tears of joy. There was lots of happiness and relief that they were finally husband and wife.

For today, I am just going to let some of the wedding pictures speak for themselves. I intend to make a list of events and shout outs at some point this week. Right now, I am enjoying looking at the pictures and remembering the great day.

Ending 2011 on a High Note

Wow... December 31st, 2011.

It has been a wonderful day!!

I will be brief and say 3 things:

**Congratulations to my sister and brother-in-law! They had a spectacular wedding day. I am so happy for them!

**Congratulations to my cousin Scott and his fiancé :) They got engaged today!

**As it is new years eve, the end of the craziest year of my life. I am thankful to have been able to experience it all, as life is ever so precious. I do have hope for a better year, however. May 2012 be full of joy, perseverance when needed and great memories!! Best wishes to all of you!!!

Credit: Carolyn Cochrane , her shop via Etsy

Warriors Win it All

Twelve days later, I'm finally writing about this great event... While I feel incredibly lazy these days when it comes to writing, I don't want 2010 to pass by without recording this magnificient moment in time.

On December 11th, I had the priviledge to see the hometown high school football team play in the state championship game. The Warriors (us) versus the Timberwolves.

Oh, it was glorious. Absolutely.

The game was held at one of the big state universities. Crowds upon crowds of people came to support both teams. Parents, teachers, people from the community, alumni, and many others came to witness the big game.

The stakes were high. Both teams had played each other before. The Warriors lost against the Timberwolves the first time. Would they be able to win against them? That is the question we all were anxious to answer. Not only was it a rematch, and for a big title, but the Warriors have never had a state championship title. Yes, for the 42 years that my old high school has been established, it has never won a state championship game. For many many years, my alma mater has been the "loser school." In the past, the football team had an embarrassing history of losing. This negative attitude of losing carried not only through the sports but within the student body. A big contributer to this attitude also has to do with the type of student population. Most of the area is low to middle class, which means that the school lacks in good financial support. Basically, it has been a sad constant cycle for years. As a result, the school just has not had a very good reputation within the community.

Until recently. There have been some great changes. I would love to know where it all started.

I was so amazed when I went to the first football game of the season. There was actually a real student body cheering section. A complete 180 from when I went to school. And of course, our football team has been hugely uplifting. It is amazing what football can do for a community...
~
After waiting in crowded lines to get through the gates, Mom, my sister and I got good seats with only one row in front of us (and fairly close to the front too). I enjoyed seeing everyone and anyone who came to support the team.

Once the clock started, we took part of the constant cheering and shouting to encourage the guys on the field. I had a surge of anxiety rushing through my body as I saw those players clash together... but oh the joy and relief that came with the first touchdown.

As time got closer to half time, the score was 24 to 0. We were ahead. The Warrior student body yelled the great chant, "I. I believe. I believe that. I believe that we. I believe that we will WIN! I believe that we will WIN! I believe that we will WIN!" That went along with jumping up and down and holding one finger up (as in #1). The student body got the Warrior crowd all fired up and we too were chanting the "I believe" cheer. I believe.

The seconds wound down with much intensity... and so it was the official score going into halftime. We did it. We were ahead.

The game after halftime was a challenge to watch. Could we continue to hold off the Timberwolves with our defense? Honestly, I felt like watching the last half with one eye open! There was a low point in the game when the Timberwolves scored two touchdowns within 14 seconds. Our team had messed up a little and slightly lost their focus. But then... it all came back and they somehow found their energy. I think the home team crowd revved up again and that helped them to feel encouraged. After that slight setback, I think it shocked everyone's system-- made us remember how badly we wanted this win. This was OUR time. Our time to change the history.

The last quarter in a half are kind of a blur in my mind. What I do remember is that the hometeam defense worked their tail off to keep the Timberwolves from scoring again. I think at one point we caught the Timberwolves' fumble and were able to march the ball down the field. All I know is that we made a few more touchdowns. I high fived the hands of the people in front of me and yelled like crazy. Ohhhh how I wanted to win. We wanted to win.

At the end of the 4th quarter, the dream came true,.. Finishing the game with one more touchdown, we had it. We won the State Championship Title, 34 to 13. I will never forget those last three seconds when the hometeam crowd counted down together, "3... 2... 1.... 0" And wow, let the celebrations begin!!!
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It was glorious seeing the football team get awarded the Metro League and State Championship trophies. After they were presented with the awards, the crowd rushed onto the field. Just like all the other games, the crowd gathered around the team at the endzone. Such a wonderful moment.

I never want to forget that experience. I loved every minute of it. I couldn't be prouder of my old high school!

Graduation Weekend

What a wonderful weekend! Yesterday was Sarah's graduation party at our house. We had several family and friends over to celebrate the special occasion. The weather was absolutely amazing yesterday-- 85 degrees and clear skies. My kind of weather!

Since it was so nice we had the party out on the deck, which was delightful. It was so fun talking with neighbors, cousins, Granny, and other family members. I really enjoyed seeing people talking with one another (lots of mingling!). I was very pleased and surprised at some of the people who did come to the party. My mom's cousin Carole, that we hardly see, came with her husband. I could tell that she was very happy that she had made the effort to come and visit.

Unfortunately, a terrible event occurred that basically concluded the party. My cousin's husband received a call that their eldest son was in an accident. They rushed home and those who were still at the party started to disperse as they left. Praise God, though, my cousin's son is okay and the passengers in his car are fine! I saw pictures of the car (which is totaled) this evening and wow... God was definitely protecting those boys.

Anyhow... after the main party was over we had a still had a little gathering of a few people. Sarah's friend Emily and her mother, Jessica were still over enjoying themselves. Emily, Sarah, and Dustin had fun playing Rock Band and talking with each other. Auntie Marolyn came back to our house and had fun talking with Jessica and mom.

Once Auntie Marolyn left, Jessica and Emily were still at our house (we don't get to spend much time with them- even though they live close to us). We all were pretty hungry and burnt out on eating sweets. We all decided that Olive Garden sounded good. So Jessica's family-- her husband, son and Emily and the "five of us" (us + Dustin) went out together. Lots of fun! It was a great end of the day and fun to celebrate Emily and Sarah's friendship- they've been friends since kindergarten. :)

Emily, Sarah, & Dustin

My Sister is a High School Graduate!

The graduation ceremony was great last night! My sister is now officially a high school graduate. :)